Swords and Roses
by arcanebasswitch
Summary: Joachim has gone mad with bloodthirst. Walter enjoys it and considered another "game" of his. Will sending a maiden be more entertaining, or more of a "good playtime" for Joachim? Joachim X OC... Rated M for violence and suggested themes. Please review.
1. Act I: Lost One

**SWORDS AND ROSES**

_Even if a man is shattered in his mind, he can find solace._

**ACT I: Lost One**

The silver-haired Joachim Armster was quietly humming to himself a lullaby while his swords played around him as he levitated them. The young man's once-fine purple robes had been stained by blood, and the hems were torn. In his arms he cradled a rotting head of a human he decided to "play" with, and their "game" had gone too far. The lord of the castle of Eternal Night, Walter Bernhard, could only pity the boy's condition as he watched him from his throne room. Then, Walter had a sinisterly good idea. To pass the time, he'll start with one of his "games", and lead another damsel into his castle. Not for his use, but for Joachim. A feral smile played on his handsome face. Yes, that was it. The perfect game…

Down in the village, there was a lady named Emilie Forschart. She was, unknown to all, the last existing blood mage in the world. A blood mage was someone who could ward off evil by using her blood to cast wards and banishments. But during that time, she cannot have her identity slip, for it would mean certain death. To make ends meets through those hard times, she worked as a nurse who tended the injured Crusaders. By morning she was already at the makeshift hospital at the town square. They received a huge number of Crusaders that day. Emillie could only pity them so much for the injuries they had. One of them even had to have an amputation for an infected leg, and thus, would no longer be able to serve in battle for the Holy Land. Wearing her usual long brown dress, white scar on her head, and the apron around her waist, Emillie began to work on one of the men. "Sir, if you would so kindly lift your arm, so that I may see the extent of the damage?" she asked, to which the knight responded by lifting his left arm. The pain was excruciating, so he could only lift it halfway up before setting it down gingerly on the pillow beside him. Emilie scratched the tip of her chin as she got a sling set up on the broken arm. "Sir, I'll need you to relax, because I'm going to tie this around your broken arm so it can mend within a months' time. However, I cannot give you permission to go back to the Holy Land…" "Tis alright, milady." the knight answered. "The deaths o'er yonder are too devastating, even for our cause." "It is understandable that you doubt your own intentions at times." Emilie said as she finished tying up the sling. "Even I cannot fathom what you all go through once you step in the battlefield." She gave the knight a drink to ease the pain as she was summoned by the doctor.

"Emilie, I'm afraid we've ran out of herbs." the doctor said with a frown on his face. "Without it, we cannot produce the needed medicine for pain relief." Emilie nodded. "Just tell me where to find those herbs, and I can get them for you." she said. "They grow…over there in that forest." the doctor answered, pointing to a beaten road that led to a large, and eerily dark, forest. One of the knights overheard the conversation and shook his head in dismay. "Are you mad, sending a woman like her in the Forest of Eternal Night?" he said, to which both the doctor and Emilie looked at in surprise. "Forest of… Eternal Night?" Emilie said. She'd hear stories about it from her mother when she was alive. It was said that the night was bonded to the forest because of dark magic. A castle was also in the forest, according to the stories, and was the home of a vampire and many demons. But Emilie hadn't believed the stories. "It must be just legend." she told the knight. "Or some story made up by the old folks to make sure their children don't go playing off in the forest." "Milady, I do not lie." the knight answered. "Why I know the story is simple: I had a friend whose betrothed was taken by the lord of the castle in that forest. He had gone in to save her. His beloved was turned into a vampire, but it did not stop him from confronting the lord. Many had also tried to follow his path, but never returned." Emilie eyed the path warily. "Well, the Lord will guide and protect me from any danger." she said, reassuringly. Taking the basket, and against the knight's words, Emilie went on to the path and followed it until she was at threshold of the dreaded Forest of the Eternal Night.

From afar, Walter smiled. _This lady is very beautiful_, he thought. _A perfect plaything for my pet. _He cannot help but be attracted to the girl as well, and had the look of a cat that cornered a mouse as he observed her picking some plants. _Well then, _he thought. _Time to begin. _Emilie then ran out of herbs to pick, something she was unhappy about because her basket wasn't even half-full yet. Scratching her head, she looked about to see if the herbs grew elsewhere, but came up with nothing. Crossing herself, she headed inside the forest. The vampire lord was enjoying this even more. _Come here, darling, _he thought. _Come here… _To her surprise, Emilie found a lot of the herbs she needed and picked everything until her basket was full. _Well, that ought to do the trick_, she thought as she followed the way she came. Strangely enough as she walked, the forest got darker, as if an enormous creature had blotted out the sun. _It may take me quite some time to get back to town_, she thought. _Lord, bless and protect this soul. _She kept walking, knowing it was the right path. A disturbingly smooth voice echoed in her head, saying "Come to me…" Unsure whether she was being lulled by this voice or following instinct alone, Emilie just kept treading the path. And kept walking until she reached the end… A drawbridge towards a large and menacing structure. At the other side, a tall man had stood. His red and black armor glistened against the full moon, and his hair, red as blood, flowed in elegant waves towards his shoulder. His pale but handsome face was twisted in an almost predatory smile. Emilie dropped the basket, but was frozen in place because of the fear, as this mysterious being began to approach her. "Good evening, milady." he said, his voice smooth as silk. The woman immediately recognized it as the voice that rang in her head. "You…" she said. "You…brought me here?"The man nodded, that predatory smile not leaving his lips. "I did not mean to bring you in such a rude fashion, but I have no other way to lure you here…" he said. "But alas, time is running scarce, and your true purpose awaits you –" With nothing but his mind, the red-haired lord of the castle pulled Emilie closer to him. "Inside." He took her inside the castle. They both disappeared in the shadows.

Back at the town, the company of knights were all livid with the doctor. "What in the name of the Lord did you have the woman do?!" one of them said. "Did you not know the story of the forest? The forest traps you in eternal night, and its demons will come out and tear you apart!" Another knight, the one that Emilie tended to because of hs broken arm, jolted out of bed and grabbed the doctor by his collar. "I'll have your head for letting her go there…" he snarled. The captain of the knights' company also got up from the bed and calmed his subordinates down. "We must keep calm, everyone." he said. "We should look for this poor girl. But we must also wait for injuries to mend before going into the forest." Though it sounded insane to the knights to rush into the forest, part of their code of chivalry required it as well. But they fear they may be too late once they get there. A flash of crimson flickered in the doctor's eyes quickly as well.

Emilie was walking down the hall with the tall, armor-clad man. She broke the silence when she asked, "What's your name?" "I am Walter Bernhard." he answered. "But please, call me Walter. I have forgotten to tell you why we are walking towards one of my castle's lower chambers." He stopped, and turned to face her. He was very handsome, especially with those mesmerizing dark eyes and finely-chiseled facial features. "You see," he began. "I have someone who needs to be taken care of. He lives in the chamber we are about to arrive into. But I must warn you that he could get quite…_playful_, with his guests." "Playful? Well, by the tone, I do not like how this will bode." Emilie said. "But why me? Surely our village doctor would pose better?" "You are mistaken, my dear." Walter said as they continued walking down the dimly-lit hall. "This is not a mere human I ask to be taken care of. You see, you humans are a clear mirror to me; you cannot hide your true selves. I see you are mage capable of magic by blood, that is why I took you instead of an ordinary village doctor. The one in that room…is like me." _A vampire_, Emilie thought. _Okay, I'm a blood mage, and this will not definitely come on my end as an advantage. _After their long walk, the two arrived in front of a large, emerald-colored door with a complicated seal on it. With a flick of his gauntlet-covered hand, Walter undid the seal, and it creaked open to reveal a long staircase going down. "This is where I shall leave. I have…matters, to attend to." He said. "Follow the staircase, and you will see the one I refer to."


	2. Act II: Beautiful Toy

**SWORDS AND ROSES**

**Act II: Beautiful Toy**

Emilie was left alone by Walter. With nowhere to go, she had not choice but to follow the stairs. As she walked down the long, stone staircase, the sound of gushing waterfalls caught her ears, and the smell of damp soil prompted her to look about, but the light from the torches and mere human sight alone could not help her discern her surroundings. Until she got to the end of the stairs. A massive garden-like area greeted her, surrounded by waterfalls. Pillars were standing on each end of the room, some intact, some dilapidated. Gathering up her skirts, the young lady took a step closer, until she was taken aback at what she saw.

A young man sat in the middle of the place, cradling what seemed to be a human head. A sword floated above his open hand as he hummed a sort of lullaby to himself. He was a gorgeous young man, with his pale skin and icy blue eyes. His ivory locks fell halfway to his back, and the hem of his purple robes were torn. Despite his angelic feaetures, Emilie already had the feeling that he was indeed a vampire. _The one in the room…is just like me. _Walter's words rang in her head_. _But Emilie found it hard to believe. She stepped closer so she could see the young man clearly. His eyes were unfocused, as if in a dream. He seemed so…childlike. Working in the field of medicine, she knew it was not a good sign to be with an insane person, but she defied that right now. She was ordered to take care of him. And it looked that the pallor of his complexion indicated that he had suffered some illness hen he was still human. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and the young man immediately looked up at her, his icy blue optics boring into her green ones. But he smiled. "Would you like to play?" he said, handing her the severed head. Emilie returned his question with a smile of her own. "I would love to, but not right now." she answered, to which the man frowned. "Someone asked me to take care of you… And I'll start doing that right now. That head you're holding… How'd you get that?" "Someone tried to hurt me…" he answered. "I thought...he wanted to play with me too. But he tried to hurt me…and I had to protect myself. Then, I took his head out and made it my toy, so we could play." The very thought of the young man decapitating some unfortunate soul made Emilie shudder clandestinely. "You know that the head is already will not last much longer." Emilie said. Joachim threw the head away and simply folded his arms in disappointment. "So you don't want to play with me?" he said. "Well, that's okay. We can save that for later. By the way, what's your name?" "Oh, I'm Emilie. Emilie Forschart. I'm a nurse down the village." she answered. "And you, what's your name?" "I'm Joachim. Joachim Armster." he answered. "Now that the introductions are over, I'll show you my toy collection." He got up and took Emilie by the hand, who was surprised at this change of pace. The two walked towards the waterfalls, and Joachim flicked his hand. The waterfalls separated, revealing a secret chamber protected by a single gem. He pressed the gem lightly and the door opened, revealing what looked to be just a simple room, altough without a bed and a desk. The walls were filled with impaled human heads. Some fresh, some rotting. Other body parts, such as torsos and limbs hung on the ceiling. The smell of rot and decay nearly made Emilie fall, but Joachim caught her. "Impressive isn't it?" he said. "Look at all my lovely toys! You know, those people actually wanted to play with me… But I enjoyed myself a little too much…" He smiled at her, but that smile was of the Devil's. Emilie's green eyes grew wide with horror. "Oh my Lord…" she whispered. "These poor people…" Joachim chuckled. "Don't worry. They enjoyed as much as I did. All that crying and screaming…" he said. "They were so happy!" _This boy's definition of happiness are actually sounds of pain_, Emilie thought. She turned and was about to leave, but Joachim blocked her way. "Where are you going?" he asked, a frown on his face. "Um, I do not mean to offend you, but I cannot stay in this room. I can't take much more of the death I see here…" Emilie said. "I'm sorry Joachim, but I will have a word with Walter about this." With a roar, the pale vampire screamed "No!" and the door to the chamber shut itself, locking the two inside. "You're not leaving, are you?" he said. "You can't go! I've been so alone down here… You can't go…" Joachim approached the trembling girl, who pulled back. The icy blue eyes shone with an eerie shade of red. Joachim had never encountered a human until now, and his thirst was nagging at him. Emilie fumbled for the dagger she kept at the small pouch hanging from the back of her dress. _God watch over me_, she thought as she pulled it out. And as any blood mage did, she slashed her palm, letting the blood flow onto her arm. Using her finger, she drew a glyoh on the stone floor that resembled a Celtic cross, and she chanted a Latin phrase. It was a ward for demons, but it was not enough to restrain the hungry vampire. Although the ward's magic caused tentacle-like things to erupt from its lines to snatch Joachim and drag him to God-knows-where, it was not working this time, for his power was greater, and Emilie had not used her blood magic in such a long time, therefore Joachim simply stepped over the ward, his very presence disspelling it, and grabbed Emilie close to him.

Despite the man's thin frame, Emilie was shocked by his strength. Perhaps an attribute of being a vampire, but nevertheless, she struggled from his grasp. Joachim kept a firm hold as he brushed away her blonde locks from her neck. The complex network of veins carrying her blood was truly a sight for him to behold. The sound of her blood flowing alone was intoxicating music to his ears, and the scent of her skin drove him to the edge. "Get away! Get away!" Emilie said, trying to shove him away, but to no avail. The vampire's grip was clearly rivalling a steel clamp, and without further hesitation, he bore his fangs. Not to her neck, but in her shoulders. Emilie's cries of pain bounced from one wall to the other in the chamber, but no one except Joachim could hear her. Although the blood did not flow much to her shoulders, Joachim still reveled in its salty, steely taste. The color returned to his cheeks as Emilie slowly shuddered beneath his grasp. He cannot let his plaything die very easily, therefore he stopped feeding (much to his chagrin) and set her down on the floor. He sat beside her, his lips still covered in her blood, as he wiped it clean with the back of a pale hand, and licked it. _Mmm, so tasty_, he thought. _She will definitely make a good plaything for me…_

From his throne room, Walter observed the events. He grinned wickedly at the sight of Joachim nearly draining Emilie. Resting his elbow on the throne's arm rest, and his cheek on his closed hand, Walter waited avidly for more events. _Soon, some foolish man will come and attempt to take you_, he thought as his smile broadened. _But of course, you cannot. And you will serve as my entertainment for all eternity. _Back at the small chamber in the waterfalls, Emilie stirred as she tried to get up. Clearly, she was still light-headed because of the blood loss, and was surprised to see Joachim sitting by her side, humming the same lullaby. He looked down with a pleasant smile as she got to her feet with difficulty. "I'm glad you're up." he said. "You looked dead… But I can't let my plaything die…" He frowned at the thought, so he also got up and helped Emilie walk. There wasa block of stone that she could sit on, so he led her there.

"You…" Emilie said, dazed. "What did you do…to me?" "I got hungry…" Joachim said. "And there's only one thing that can satisfy me when I'm hungry." He pointed to the puncture marks on her shoulder. Apparently, the fabric was torn by Joachim's fangs. Emilie's hand quickly flew to the wound. The holes were small, but the wound throbbed angrily. Blood still escaped, but Joachim didn't mind it. He was full, for the time. He began to walk around, and soon, he stopped in front of the collection of heads hmounted on his wall, and with only his telepathy, took one out. The head was fresh, only dead for more than a day. It had belonged to a young man of around twenty, with curly dark hair and brown eyes, frozen open in death. "I liked this guys." Joachim said. "But he was not so kind to me. He called me monster… And I showed him what a monster is really like." He smiled at the trembling girl, revealing his white fangs, a bit bloodstained from feeding. "You know, he wasn't the best playmate… Neither of these heads were… They don't respond, unlike you. You're the best playmate I ever had…" Scared at the fact the guy can literally kill her, Emilie feigned her fear by smiling back. "Um, thank you very much. We've only just met and you're treating me like we've known each other for so long. Thank you." she said through trembling lips. Joachim mounted the head back and approached Emilie. HE chuckled. "You're welcome." he answered. "And you're the most beautiful toy ever…" With a light kiss on the cheek, Joachim went out of the chamber, Emilie following suit, still rubbing the area were he kissed her.


End file.
